H. C. Lamacraft
Encyclopedia
Harry Charles Lamacraft was an English motorcycle racer, most noted for successful exploits at the Brooklands
racetrack and at the Isle of Man TT in the 1930s. He took tenth place in the 1934 Isle of Man Junior TT and tenth place in the 1935 Isle of Man Senior TT. In all, he rode in the TT 11 times, finishing above 19th place every time.
Lamacraft was most successful racing Velocette
350 cc KTT and Excelsior (Coventry) 500 cc motorcycles. His first KTT was later sold to Bert Perryman, who began his career at Brooklands with this machine. This machine is now property of Jeff Clew and can be seen in the Haynes International Motor Museum
. His second Velocette, a KTT mk IV, raced at Brooklands and the Isle of Man (1933/34 TT's), won tenth place 1933 Junior TT. This machine was sold to David Vincent, who won his Gold Star at Brooklands for lapping at 100mph during a race with Lamacraft's former motorcycle. Lamacraft won a Gold Star at Brooklands in 1935, of a lap of over 100mph during a race. Period photographs show that he experimented with supercharging on his mkV Velocette
, presumably for racing at Brooklands.
Lamacraft joined the Royal Air Force
during World War II
and served as a flight sergeant
navigator, flying a Lockheed Ventura
bomber. He was killed in a mission to destroy a power plant on 3 May 1943 over Holland, aged 32. He is buried in Amersfoort
, the Netherlands
.
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
racetrack and at the Isle of Man TT in the 1930s. He took tenth place in the 1934 Isle of Man Junior TT and tenth place in the 1935 Isle of Man Senior TT. In all, he rode in the TT 11 times, finishing above 19th place every time.
Lamacraft was most successful racing Velocette
Velocette
Velocette is the name given to motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles than the giant BSA, Norton or Triumph concerns...
350 cc KTT and Excelsior (Coventry) 500 cc motorcycles. His first KTT was later sold to Bert Perryman, who began his career at Brooklands with this machine. This machine is now property of Jeff Clew and can be seen in the Haynes International Motor Museum
Haynes International Motor Museum
Haynes International Motor Museum at Sparkford near Yeovil in Somerset, England, contains over 400 cars and motorcycles and a collection of other automobilia....
. His second Velocette, a KTT mk IV, raced at Brooklands and the Isle of Man (1933/34 TT's), won tenth place 1933 Junior TT. This machine was sold to David Vincent, who won his Gold Star at Brooklands for lapping at 100mph during a race with Lamacraft's former motorcycle. Lamacraft won a Gold Star at Brooklands in 1935, of a lap of over 100mph during a race. Period photographs show that he experimented with supercharging on his mkV Velocette
Velocette
Velocette is the name given to motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles than the giant BSA, Norton or Triumph concerns...
, presumably for racing at Brooklands.
Lamacraft joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and served as a flight sergeant
Flight Sergeant
Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...
navigator, flying a Lockheed Ventura
Lockheed Ventura
The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises...
bomber. He was killed in a mission to destroy a power plant on 3 May 1943 over Holland, aged 32. He is buried in Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Sources
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission website record
- A Clubman at Brooklands, AC Perryman, Foulis 1979
- Kieg Collection Volume 1, BMS 1981
- 20 Squadron
- http://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/competitors.aspx?ride_id=741&filter=L
- Reminiscences of David Vincent
- The Times, Monday, 20 March, 1944; pg. 6; Issue 49809; col D
- UK Birth, Marriage and Death database